User blog:SPARTAN 119/Władysław Raginis vs Hiroo Onoda
Wladyslaw Raginis, the Polish captain whose 720 men held up a Wehrmacht force of 42000 for three days. VS Hiroo Onoda, the Japanese officer who refused to surrender until the 1970s. =Combatants= Wladyslaw Raginis Władysław Raginis was a Polish Army officer who graduated from an officer's school in 1930, being promoted to the rank of captain by 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded Poland, starting the Second World War. Raginis was positioned at a series of bunkers near Wizna, Poland, along with 720 men, defending against a force 42,000 Germans with air and armored support. The Poles held out for three days against overwhelming odds, killing at least 900 German infantry and destroying ten tanks and other armored vehicles. The battle has become known as the "Polish Thermopylae", as many, including Raginis, defended the position to the death, Raginis killing himself with a hand grenade rather than be captured. Hiroo Onoda Hiroo Onoda inlisted in the Imperial Japanese Army in 1941 and was sent to Lubang Island in the Philippines in 1944 in order to sabatoge the allied operations on the island. When the allies began to advance onto the island, Hiroo and a few of his fellow soldiers followed him as they fled to the hills. Once Japan surrendured in 1945, efforts were made to convince all Japanese troops that were holding out to surrender themselves but all attempts by the allies to convince Hiroo and his comrades failed and were thought by them to be propaganda. For the next 29 years he and his comrades held out agianst all attempts to attack or convince them to surrender. Constant raids on local towns and firefights against local police eventually wiped out most of his comrades. Eventually, Hiroo was the only one left and fought off constant attacks from local police. Finally, his former commander was brought to the island and told him that the war had ended 29 years ago. Despite all, he was pardoned and went back home to Japan after holding out in the jungle for 29 years. =Weapons= Melee Combat Knife (Raginis) A combat knife is a standard issue military knife, used both for close range melee combat and for more mundane tasks such as opening ration cans, cutting food etc. Shin Gunto (Onoda) The Shin Gunto was a World War II-era Japanese officer's sword similar in appearance to the katana. The Shin Gunto, however, was mass produced using more modern techniques than the katana. 119's Edge Onoda's Shin Gunto for its greater reach. Handguns Vis Pistol (Raginis) The Vis is a Polish-made 9mm semi-automatic pistol with an eight-round magazine. The weapon had a muzzle velocity of 345 meters per second. Nambu Pistol (Onoda) The Nambu is a Japanese WWII-era semi automatic pistol. The weapon was known to be less powerful than the .45 ACP round or even the 9mm. The weapon has an 8-round magazine and a muzzle velocity of 289 meters per second. The weapon, while less powerful and having misfire problems, was easier to aim with its low recoil. 119's Edge Raginis' Vis for its larger caliber Rifles Kbk Wz-29 (Raginis) The Kbk was a Polish 7.9mm bolt action rifle based off the German K98K. The weapon had a 5-round magazine and a muzzle velocity of 745 meters per second. Arisaka 99 (Onoda) The Arisaka 99 is a Japanese 7.7mm bolt-action rifle of the Second World War. The weapon had a muzzle velocity of 730 meters per second. The rifle has a five-round magazine. 119's Edge Raginis' Kbk Wz 29 for its slightly larger caliber and muzzle velocity SMGs Mors SMG (Raginis) The Mors is a Polish 9mm SMG with a rate of fire of 500-550 rounds per minute and a muzzle velocity of 400 meters per second. The weapon had a 24-round magazine. Type 100 SMG (Onoda) The Type 100 is a Japanese WWII-era 8mm submachine gun. The weapon had a rate of fire of 800 rounds per minute and a 30-round magazine. The weapon had a muzzle velocity of 335 meters per second. 119's Edge Onoda's Type 100 for its superior capacity and rate of fire. Machine Guns Wz-28 (Raginis) The Wz-1928 is a 7.9mm Polish copy of the Browning Automatic Rifle. Like the BAR, it fired from a 20-round magazine. The weapon has a muzzle velocity of 853 meters per second and a rate of fire of 650 rounds per minute. Type 99 (Onoda) The Type 99 is a WWII-era Japanese 7.7mm light machine guns. The weapon was fed by a 30-round clip on top of the gun and had a rate of fire of 700 rounds per minute. Unusual for a light machine gun, the weapon also had a bayonet lug, though for the purposes of this match, a bayonet will not be attached. The top-mounted magazine was easier to reload than previous hopper-based Japanese LMGs, but made it more difficult to aim down the sight (as the sight was slightly off set to see past the magazine. 119's Edge In spite of its lower muzzle velocity and rate of fire, I give this to the Wz-28 for its greater ease of use when firing from the shoulder and aiming down the sights. Grenades Wz-33 (Raginis) The Wz-33 was a Polish grenade based off the French F1. The weapon had a shrapnel radius was up to 100 meters, the grenade had to be thrown from a defensive position- from behind a wall or in a trench. The grenade had a TNT or picric acid charge. Type 99 (Onoda) The Type 99 was a Japanese grenade used in the Second World War. The grenade had a 58 gram picric acid charge, and a five second fuse activated by pulling the pin and then striking the grenade against a hard surface such as a rock. 119's Edge Onoda's Type 99, as it can be used in or out of a defensive position. Grenade Launchers Granatnik Wz-36 (Raginis) The Granatnik Wz-36 was a Polish grenade launcher mounted on a bipod and a rear plate. The weapon was similar to a small mortar, with a range of up to 800 meters. Type 89 "Knee Mortar" The Type 89 Grenade Discharger, also known as the "Knee Mortar", was a small grenade launcher with a maximum range of 675 meters. The weapon earned the name knee mortar after Allied troops initially mistook that weapon for being used by resting the plate against the knee. After multiple soldiers injured their knees by the recoil, Allied troops were warned not to use captured Type 89s in such a manner. 119's Edge Raginis' Granatnik for its greater range. File:Bayonet_OKC-3S_-_Ontario_Knife_Company.jpg|A combat knife (not actual Polish model, but likely similar in appearance). File:Gunto_type_98.jpg|Type 98 Shin Gunto Sword. File:Vis_wz_35_1775.jpg|The Vis Pistol File:Nambupistol2465.jpg|Nambu Pistol. File:375px-Mors_smg.jpg|The Mors SMG. Image from Wikipedia, link to photographer: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Halibutt File:Submachine_gun_Type_100.jpg|The Type 100 SMG File:800px-Polish_Wz_29.jpg|The Wz29 File:Type99.jpg|The Arisaka 99 File:RKM_Browning_wz._1928,_Muzeum_Orła_Białego.jpg|The Wz 28 LMG File:Type99LMG.jpg|The Type 99, with bayonet attached. File:F1_grenade.jpg|The French F1 grenade on which the Wz-33 is based. File:Type_99_Grenade.jpg|Type 99 Grenade. File:651px-Wz36_GL_Polish.jpg|The Granatnik Wz-35 File:Japanese_Type_89_grenade_discharger.gif|The Type 89 "Knee Mortar" =X-Factors= Explanations I gave Raginis and Onoda, the same Combat Experience mark as, while Onoda lasted much longer than Raginis, Raginis faced a much larger and better armed force than anything Onoda encountered. =Notes= Match ends on January 19th. =Battle= Raginis: Onoda: Hiroo Onoda and four Japanese soldiers advance on a trench line defended by Raginis and his men. A Japanese soldier with a knee mortar fires first, killing one of Raginis' men. The Pole with the Granatnik responds, firing a round that kills the Japanese knee mortar operator. Onoda fires his Arisaka, killing the Granatnik gunner before, ordering a charge at Raginis' trenches, yelling "Banzai". A Japanese soldier was cut down by fire from Raginis' Wz-28. One of Onoda's soldiers tosses a grenade into the trenches, killing a Pole . Raginis' soldiers retaliate with fire from Mors SMGs, killing one of Onoda' men. . Onoda shoots one of Raginis men with his Nambu, killing him, as Onoda's senior NCO attacks Raginis with his Shin Gunto. After a few attempts, the NCO thrusts his sword into Raginis' torso. With his last breath, Raginis arms an Wz-33 grenade. The grenade detonates, vaporizing both Raginis and Onoda's NCO WINNER: Hiroo Onoda Author's Opinion Personally, I disagree with the results, due to the fact that Onoda fought far fewer and less well armed adversaries compared to the Raginis, who went up against the panzers and troops of the Wehrmacht and even knocked out several panzers. Category:Blog posts